As I’ve discussed before in Leaside Life, the Bayview-Eglinton area, particularly the west side of Bayview, has received multiple development applications for tall residential buildings since 2019, and several (including Sunnybrook Plaza) that are re-submissions (for increased height and density) of previously approved applications.
This change in the nature of applications directly relates to the changes by the Province in its approval of the Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan (OPA 405) to permit 20-35 storeys in the Bayview Focus Area, instead of eight storeys, as proposed by the plan previously approved by City Council.
Succeeding applications are well in excess of the 20-35-storey range and include an application (17-29 Glenavy) outside the “Bayview Focus Area” as approved by the Province.
In the words of LRA’s Doug Obright, a professional planner, “they make no planning sense and are completely ridiculous in that it is even higher than the egregious height range introduced by the Province, contrary to the wishes of the City and community.”
The most recent application is for the Beer Store location at 609 Roehamption, raising the question as to how this “fits” with plans, currently unknown, for the Metro store site. This site was always considered the most appropriate location for tall towers, given its large size and proximity to the Leaside LRT station.
Of course, the development explosion has led to a heightening of interest (pun intended!) among residents on both sides of Bayview, and the emergence of the Broadway Area Residents Association. BARA, with support from the Leaside Residents Association, has been dealing with individual applications, attending community consultation meetings and Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) case management conferences, often followed by mediation and settlement discussions. But there is a sense of frustration and disappointment in the inability to achieve anything more than minor changes to these applications.
Meeting with Chief Planner Jason Thorne
We tabled several issues for discussion:
- Individual proposals are being approved without considering the impact on the neighbourhood. Rows of high rises create wind and shadows, and make neighbourhoods less desirable. There’s concern about overall impact on traffic, parking, and community services (medical, schools, recreation, etc.).
- Proposals outside the planned area for intensive development are extending into residential neighbourhoods (i.e. 17-29 Glenavy).
- The Committee of Adjustment (where minor variances are handled) is being used to significantly increase tower height, number of units and density of already mediated/approved proposals (i.e. 1837-45 Bayview, 2-20 Glazebrook).
How can residents influence the Ontario government? Can the City influence the provincial government?
The meeting with Jason Thorne, together with staff from North York Planning, took place on August 25. Bob Reid from BARA gave an excellent presentation to amplify the issues. “We presented multiple maps showing current zoning, “station core area,” OPA 405… all clearly showing that the Glenavy site is outside the area designated for intensification. We emphasized that while high rises make sense along major arterial roads (Bayview and Eglinton), the Glenavy proposal crosses the line – bulldozing existing single-family homes to build a 39-storey high rise … directly across the street from single family homes, on a quiet residential side street.
Thorne and City staff talked about “smoothing out” some of the existing mixed use areas so that the borders with neighbourhood zoning aren’t “jagged” or “cutting in and out.” I interpreted that as “the Glenavy site is definitely going to be rezoned as mixed use.”
Thorne made the point that given the Province’s newly announced (and significantly expanded) major transit station zones, the City is going to have to redesignate zoning at hundreds of locations across the map in the next several months.
To me, that sounds like the encroachment into existing neighbourhoods will not only proceed, but it will also expand.
The discussion was disappointing in that the City did not affirm the residents’ concerns, but restated the planning process mantra, that virtually anyone is within their rights to apply to the City for approval to build anything, anywhere.
Leasider Jim Parker summarized the meeting: “We didn’t influence them at all, except to let them know that we didn’t like the proposed density and location. My feeling was that they made every decision based on what they thought the OLT would rule. They don’t have the appetite to take on the Province and wrestle control of Toronto’s development direction.
